Yesterday, an orange in the
road. below my window this morning,
two sevillanos whistle their tune.
days of rain ahead. the gas tank sounds
fixed: hot water, coffee, washing-
up. yesterday an orange in the
road – beside a square of restive
palms. today, cathedral or bust:
kestrel choir, flaming ruffs.
Royston Tester is the author of three collections of short fiction, most recently You Turn Your Back (Tightrope Books).
This article appears in the 08 Aug 2018 issue of the New Statesman, The rise and fall of Islamic State